Cozy, but too slight to leave a strong impression.
After bonding over a vampire book series, a crush develops between two classmates in this queer coming-of-age story.
Rotem is obsessed with Sunrise, a novel that’s clearly meant to evoke Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. She lends the book to her classmate Ayala—and once Ayala reads it and finds it just as gripping as Rotem does, the pair become friends. Their friendship deepens as they hang out more and discuss their favorite characters and thoughts about the story. They experience everyday life in Tel Aviv—school, exams, and time with family and other friends—but each girl is dealing with her own issues. Rotem scrutinizes her physical appearance and gender presentation, while Ayala struggles with an undiagnosed, occasionally debilitating joint issue. When their mutual crush amps up, Rotem becomes scared and must find the courage to be her true self. The graphic novel’s warm, inviting art is filled with orange and pink hues. The romance between Rotem, who has curly red hair and tan skin, and Ayala, who has straight brown hair and light brown skin, is cute. Many readers will resonate with the depiction of being so in love with a book, but overall, the story feels thin; readers aren’t given access to Rotem’s inner thoughts, which keeps her at a distance and sometimes makes her motivations unclear. Many elements of the story feel underexplored or unresolved, making the ending feel not entirely satisfying.
Cozy, but too slight to leave a strong impression. (Graphic romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9780063113589
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HarperAlley
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and...
A deliciously creepy page-turning gem from first-time writer and illustrator Brosgol finds brooding teenager Anya trying to escape the past—both her own and the ghost haunting her.
Anya feels out of place at her preppy private school; embarrassed by her Russian heritage, she has worked hard to lose her accent and to look more like everyone else. After a particularly frustrating morning at the bus stop, Anya storms off, only to accidentally fall down a well. Down in the dark hole, she meets Emily, a ghost who claims to be a murder victim trapped down in the dank abyss for 90 years. With Emily’s help, Anya manages to escape, though once free, she learns that Emily has traveled out with her. At first, Emily seems like the perfect friend; however, once her motives become clear, Anya learns that “perfect” may only be an illusion. A moodily atmospheric spectrum of grays washes over the clean, tidy panels, setting a distinct stage before the first words appear. Brosgol’s tight storytelling invokes the chilling feeling of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002), though for a decidedly older set.
In addition to the supernatural elements, Brosgol interweaves some savvy insights about the illusion of perfection and outward appearance. (Graphic supernatural fiction. 12 & up)Pub Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59643-552-0
Page Count: 224
Publisher: First Second
Review Posted Online: April 18, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2011
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions.
A teenage girl refuses a medical procedure to remove her heart and her emotions.
June lives in a future in which a reclusive Scientist has pioneered a procedure to remove hearts, thus eliminating all “sadness, anxiety, and anger.” The downside is that it numbs pleasurable feelings, too. Most people around June have had the procedure done; for young people, in part because doing so helps them become more focused and successful. Before long, June is the only one among her peers who still has her heart. When her parents decide it’s time for her to have the procedure so she can become more focused in school, June hatches a plan to pretend to go through with it. She also investigates a way to restore her beloved sister’s heart, joining forces with Max, a classmate who’s also researching the Scientist because he has started to feel again despite having had his heart removed. The pair’s journey is somewhat rushed and improbable, as is the resolution they achieve. However, the story’s message feels relevant and relatable to teens, and the artwork effectively sets the scene, with bursts of color popping throughout an otherwise black-and-white landscape, reflecting the monochromatic, heartless reality of June’s world. There are no ethnic or cultural markers in the text; June has paper-white skin and dark hair, and Max has dark skin and curly black hair.
A fast-paced dip into the possibility of a world without human emotions. (Graphic speculative fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: June 13, 2023
ISBN: 9780063116214
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: April 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2023
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